Key Takeaways
- • Preqin founder Mark O'Hare has hired an ex-JPMorgan investment banking veteran to build out his family office following the £2.55–£2.6 billion sale of Preqin to BlackRock.
- • O'Hare's family office is increasing its investment exposure to buyout firm Hg, signaling a strategic pivot toward direct private equity participation post-exit.
- • The hiring of a JPMorgan banker underscores O'Hare's ambition to professionalize and scale his post-transaction investment operations beyond data provision into active capital deployment.
- • The move reflects a broader trend among billionaire founders establishing family offices and direct investment vehicles after high-value acquisitions by major financial institutions.
Summary
Preqin founder Mark O'Hare has brought on an experienced JPMorgan investment banker to structure and expand his family office operations, according to reporting from 25 September 2026. This strategic hire follows the completion of BlackRock's acquisition of Preqin, the London-based private capital data and intelligence provider, which valued the firm at approximately £2.55–£2.6 billion. The recruitment signals O'Hare's intention to transition from data provision into direct investment management and capital deployment.
O'Hare's family office is actively increasing its exposure to Hg, the British private equity and buyout firm, marking a deliberate repositioning of the billionaire founder's wealth toward hands-on private markets investment. The appointment of a JPMorgan banking veteran—an institution known for complex deal structuring and high-net-worth client advisory—reflects the sophisticated infrastructure O'Hare is assembling to manage his post-transaction capital and pursue new investment opportunities.
This move exemplifies a broader pattern among technology and financial services entrepreneurs who leverage major exit proceeds to establish independent investment platforms. Rather than remain passive shareholders or reinvest within acquiring institutions, founders increasingly establish autonomous family offices with specialized banking and investment talent to pursue direct stakes in growth companies, private equity funds, and alternative assets. O'Hare's focus on Hg, a prominent mid-market PE firm, suggests conviction in the buyout sector as a vehicle for deploying significant capital with professional management oversight.
O'Hare's family office is actively increasing its exposure to Hg, the British private equity and buyout firm, marking a deliberate repositioning of the billionaire founder's wealth toward hands-on private markets investment. The appointment of a JPMorgan banking veteran—an institution known for complex deal structuring and high-net-worth client advisory—reflects the sophisticated infrastructure O'Hare is assembling to manage his post-transaction capital and pursue new investment opportunities.
This move exemplifies a broader pattern among technology and financial services entrepreneurs who leverage major exit proceeds to establish independent investment platforms. Rather than remain passive shareholders or reinvest within acquiring institutions, founders increasingly establish autonomous family offices with specialized banking and investment talent to pursue direct stakes in growth companies, private equity funds, and alternative assets. O'Hare's focus on Hg, a prominent mid-market PE firm, suggests conviction in the buyout sector as a vehicle for deploying significant capital with professional management oversight.
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